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Spendor A1 vs Tannoy Autograph Mini's

Hello there. I’m pretty new to all this. Always sunk my money in studio equipment but  now I’m dying for a fine low-volume listening experience in a smallish room. Think I’m going with the Vincent SV 500 for an amp. Feel like I’ve narrowed my speaker choices down. Looking at either the Spendor A1’s or the Tannoy Autograph mini’s. No way to hears these just going by what I’ve read and price. I’d love to hear some opinions before I pull the trigger. Thank you in advance.
128x128miclaw
lorenreale
5 posts
 
Audition the Tannoy Autograph Mini. On my prime system, larger room, I have Harbeth Super HL5+.
yet, go to  the smaller  room, the Tannoy’s provided an excellent, yet unique sound that I love as well. 
mesch
3,394 posts
 
I heard the Autograph Mini driven by a 10 wpc Luxman tube integrated. Great sound and looks. 
lorenreale
5 posts
 
I ultimately bought the Tannoy's. added a Blue Node streamer and I'm considering the the Luxman SQ-N150 at 10 watts. I'm about to just go with the Luxman, yet I'm waiting to hear from Decware on whether their Zen Triode 25th Anniversary unit would be a good match to consider. Yet that only a couple of watts per channel. We'll see. The Luxman did very well, regardless. I used Nordost Blue Heaven cables 

mesch
3,394 posts
 
That Luxman amplifier was the one I heard with the Mini's. Not sure that 2wpc will serve the Mini's. I believe they run about 88dB sensitive.  
lorenreale
5 posts
 
First, I take your point on the Decware, and Steve Deckert agreed with you!  That insight extended to the Luxman even at 10 watts.

Following up. I was able to audition the Luxman SQ-N150 with the Tannoy Autograph Mini's and decided not to got forward with the Luxman. In the Tannoy specs they advocate 20 watts as a minimum. Now, in most cases the Luxman worked very well. Yet, with some recordings they sounded bright. In the case of The Clash's,"Rock the Casbah," the high treble, guitar distortion at the start of the song literally makes one take pause. Another track, from Crash Test Dummies,"God shuffled his feet," also begins with a high distortion treble effect that's normally in the background, yet in this case sounded like the worst reel to real accident you could hear. 

So, okay, what's causing this ? I believe the 10 watts is not sufficient to drive the 'tulip' tweeter, in many cases. This is also causing the 'brightness' in other songs. Well, the Lumyn SQ-N150 is $3,300 and the match with the Tannoy's is simply not there. Again, Holly Cole's voice sounded amazingly great, but if I went with the Luxman's the Tannoy's would have to be replaced. 


Lastly, I met Steve Deckert of Decware , whom I met at Decfest; he agreed with you. He suggested the Zen TorII at 25 watts. I live nearby his shop and may see if I can get one to audition. Though I admit I really loved the design aesthetic of the Luxman. 
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